Applicable Atmospheric Dynamics

Techniques for the Exploration of Atmospheric Dynamics

This book offers an overview of advanced techniques to study atmospheric dynamics by numerical experimentation. It is primarily intended for scientists and graduate students working on interdisciplinary research problems at the intersection of the atmospheric sciences, applied mathematics, statistics and physics. Scientists interested in adopting techniques from the atmospheric sciences to study other complex systems may also find most of the topics covered in the book interesting. The specific techniques covered in the book have either proven or potential value in solving practical problems of atmospheric dynamics.

Contents:

• Governing Equations:

  • Introduction
  • Primitive Equations
  • Representation of the Location with Coordinates
  • Alternate Vertical Coordinates
  • Vorticity and Divergence Equations
  • Potential Vorticity (PV)
  • Integral Invariants

• Perturbation Dynamics:

  • Introduction
  • Zonal-Mean Structure of the Atmosphere
  • Quasi-Geostrophic Baroclinic Equations
  • Atmospheric Waves

• Numerical Models:

  • Introduction
  • Dynamical Cores
  • Spatial Discretization
  • Temporal Discretization
  • Parameterization Schemes
  • State-of-the-Art Numerical Models
  • Simplified and Idealized Numerical Models
  • Measures of Forecast Error
  • Models as Dynamical Systems

• Data Assimilation:

  • Introduction
  • General Formulation for Normally Distributed Observation Errors
  • 3-Dimensional Schemes
  • 4-Dimensional Algorithms
  • Accounting for Model Errors and Observation Bias
  • Assimilating Satellite-based Observations
  • Frequently Assimilated Observation Types
  • Reanalysis Data Sets

Readership: Researchers and graduate students in the fields of atmospheric sciences, physics, applied mathematics, statistics and scientific computing; academics and industrial researchers working with complex systems.
Key Features:

• Serves as a “one-stop-shop” for interdisciplinary research groups, such as those in physics, applied mathematics and statistics
• Brings together materials, which have traditionally been presented separately in books on atmospheric or geophysical fluid dynamics, numerical weather prediction, data assimilation, dynamical systems and chaos, signal processing and information theory